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IN PICTURES: Kaparot ceremony in Jerusalem

October 2, 2014

Jews in Jerusalem have been busy preparing for the most important day in the Jewish calendar – Yom Kippur. On top of Selichot (forgiveness) prayers at the Western Wall, the residents of the holy city have performed another important ritual – the Kaparot ceremony.

The ritual is supposed to transfer the sins of the past year to the chicken. It consists of taking a chicken and waving it over one’s head three times while reciting the appropriate text. The fowl is then slaughtered in accordance with halachic procedure and its monetary worth given to the poor, or, as is more popular today, the chicken itself is donated to a charitable cause.